[Treatment of vascular edemas of the extremities using mercury pressure]

Sixty-four cases of lymphoedema of the limbs were treated by vertical immersion in mercury using certain methods and taking a number of precautions. The very high density of mercury immediately produces a high pressure gradient between the extremity and the root of the limb, the compressive forces produced remaining constantly perpendicular to the skin surface. This new, painless and ambulatory technique is an excellent method for the treatment of lymphoedema of the limbs with the notable special feature of giving very good results at the extremities, thereby contrasting with other methods. Furthermore, and whilst results for the rest of the limb are numerically comparable, they are obtained more rapidly (4 compression sessions of 30 minutes on average). The use of mercury compression is not limited to lymphoedema since, in particular, it improves varicose hypodermatitis.